Questions
by Literary Litany
Summary: PostDalek, NineRose. One month, one week, thee days, nineteen hours, and thirty minutes since I grabbed your hand in the basement of Henrik’s. He said, never faltering over a number. Now with Sequel "Kisses".


**Questions**

_By Literary Litany_

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"Not going to spend more time with your new pet?" The Doctor said in a voice of light interest, but a lacing of darkness colored his tone.

Rose scowled at that. "I wanted to spend more time with you. That a problem?"

He flicked an annoyed glance at her. "I thought you brought him along so you wouldn't have to do that." He winced internally as soon as the words came out of his mouth. He knew that was unfair.

Rose was caught off guard for a moment, and sat down next to the console, looking guiltily at her hands. "A bit, yeah." She admitted, and he was shocked enough to crack his head on one of the grates as he attempt to whirl and face her from under the floor. "Not for the reason ya think though." She said quickly, still frowning at her hands.

"Why then?" The Doctor said in a deadly calm voice.

"'Cause…" She trailed off and glared as the words refused to come. "I got a bit scared." She said finally, scratching at her palm just hard enough to leave a momentary white line.

"Of me?" He asked quietly, shame sweeping in on him. _You would make a good Dalek._

She gave a bubbly, sad little laugh that only served to confuse him. "No, silly. Of us."

"Us?" The Doctor echoed in befuddlement.

Rose nodded sagely, but offered no further explanations. There was a pause before she finally spoke, with her own question. "How long has it been? Since we met, I mean."

The Doctor seemed to think about it for a moment. "One month, one week, thee days, nineteen hours, and about thirty minutes since I grabbed your hand in the basement of Henrik's." He said, never faltering over a number. She was dumb-struck for a moment, having been well aware of his perfect sense of timing didn't mean she'd expected even to be that exact.

"So why were you afraid of us?" He asked after more silence.

"You keep asking me if I want to leave." She said as a different sort of answer. "Normal mates don't do that. They say things like 'I don't want you to leave' or 'please stay'." She turned and frowned at him. "If I hadn't invited Adam you would have asked me again, wouldn't you?"

Beginning to grasp what he thought she meant, he nodded acquiescence. "I was, but I don't want you to go, Rose. You know that, don't you?"

She waved her hand at him almost in annoyance. "Yea, I know. It's just… Does that mean we're real mates? Not just traveling companions, but real friends. Is that what that means?" She looked him in the eye for once. "Will you stop asking me if I want to leave?"

The Doctor held her gaze for a long time, as if searching for his answer in her eyes. "I'll stop if you want me to." He said gravely. "But did you really invite Adam along to avoid one question?"

Rose shook her head violently. "I asked him along to avoid _the_ question."

"And what would that be?" He asked with a bit of wary amusement.

She glared playfully at him. "I invited pretty-boy along to avoid it, remember? I'm not going to ask it now."

"We're mates now." The Doctor reminded her solemnly. "Mates don't keep secrets."

Rose hesitated, watching him measuringly in her indecision.

"You can trust me." He said softly, and she looked intensely back at her hands.

"What the Dalek said." She muttered so quietly he wasn't quite sure he'd heard her right.

"The Dalek said a lot." He replied grimly, and he watched her press her eyes shut.

"In the hallway." She almost snapped. "When it threatened to kill me. It said 'what use are emotions if…?'" She spoke with an almost breathless awe, but trailed off, unwilling to finish. "Never mind. It was a stupid question. I'll leave you to your repairs." She tried to stand but he caught her wrist.

"Oh, Rose…" He said for the second time that day. _They're all dead. _His broken voice echoed in her head, and she slipped back onto her kneels, looking down at him. He said nothing.

"I've only known you about a month." She said wearily when he didn't continue. "I shouldn't be…" She trailed off again and brushed at her eyes in aggravation. "It's my stupid fault the thing said that. I'm nineteen, yeah? Full of hormones, they say. The Dalek probably got confused by my…" She swallowed on the word that wouldn't come out, refusing to meet his gaze. She missed his expression shifting to the manic grin that brightened his face.

"You like an old geezer like me?" He asked teasingly, and her head snapped up at what she thought was a cruel attempt at brushing her off. She saw a fire in his eyes though, and returned the smile, nodding fiercely.

"Yup. Must be those cute ears of yours." She retorted cheekily, and was rewarded with him gasping and covering said ears in horror.

"Are you insulting my perfect audio-transmitting enhancers, Rose Tyler?"

"Have I wounded your ego?" She asked, aghast.

"Indeed you have." He declared gravely.

"Well, I'll just have to kiss it better." She grinned roguishly, darting forward and nudging his hand aside with her nose as she placed a peck on his ear. She meant to pull away, but he used the opportunity to snake an arm behind her waist and pull her closer, sending them both toppling under the floor and into the wirey under-belly of the TARDIS.

"I have to point out that my ego is more likely located near my mouth." He explained innocently from his position underneath her.

"Really?" She replied with a giggle and a wiggle of her eyebrow. "I could have sworn it was lower."

The Doctor floundered a moment, obviously not expecting that turn. "I'll have you know." He scolded lightly. "Time Lords do a lot more thinking with their _heads_ than human males do."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, right. And what was that little testosterone-fit with Van Statten back there?"

"I'm not denying we don't have our moments." The Doctor retorted testily, before breaking out into a wicked smirk. "But Time Lords are known to have very quick tongues." He poked his out at her suggestively.

"Prove it." She muttered challengingly, and he did.

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**A/N:** Okay, opinions? Is it clear in the beginning they're talking about Adam? I wasn't so sure, but my friend Liz said to keep it… Anyway, please review if you think it was worth the read. I take any feed-back, even and especially constructive criticism, and appreciate all you glorious readers out there. You help encourage me to keep writing.


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